Wildlife Trafficking: NGO Trains Customs, NESREA Officials

An NGO called the Wildlife Conservation Society, Nigeria has conducted a training workshop aimed at combating illegal wildlife trafficking and trade in Adamawa. The two-day capacity-building training workshop was held in Yola and targeted personnel from the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), the Ministry of Environment, and the Nigeria Customs Service.

The international Union for Conservation of Nature has estimated that the wildlife trafficking and trade business is worth 10 billion dollars annually, putting approximately 958 species at risk of extinction. The workshop, supported by the Biodiversity Challenge Funds, aimed to address this issue, particularly in the Nigeria-Cameroon green corridor and Adamawa state, which is strategically located near Cameroon and the Gashaka Gumti reserve.

The training session was facilitated by Elisha Bello, a Counter Wildlife Trafficking advisor to the organization. It focused on combating illegal wildlife trading, protecting endangered species of wildlife in Nigeria, and building the capacity of relevant law enforcement agencies along the frequently used routes of traffickers.

The participating personnel expressed their appreciation for the knowledge gained, which they believe would enhance the effective discharge of their duties. According to Dominic Ortsen, Chief Superintendent of Customs, this training will be beneficial in protecting wildlife and curbing illegal trade.

Singana Dadah, the Director of Wildlife at the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Development, expressed optimism that the training would lead to more incident reports indicating a renewed fight against illegal wildlife trading within the Nigeria-Cameroon green corridor.

Source: theGazetteNGR